Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Isfahan

For one person, living is cheaper in Isfahan: $470 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Isfahan
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Isfahan Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Isfahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$470

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Isfahan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Isfahan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $470 in Isfahan, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Isfahan $470

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $802 in Isfahan, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Isfahan $802

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $1,134 in Isfahan, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Isfahan $1,134

Phuket costs about 157% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Isfahan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Isfahan 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$3.07 $3.07

49.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$12.72 $12.72

155.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$3.01 $3.01

184.05%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.76 $0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.01 $1.01

169.31%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.49 $0.49

91.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.48 $0.48

2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.48 $0.48

262.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.46 $0.46

210.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.97 $1.97

-22.34%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.51 $1.51

43.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$2.76 $2.76

593.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$2.42 $2.42

36.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$10.57 $10.57

5.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$0.76 $0.76

288.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.28 $1.28

31.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.05 $1.05

119.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$0.61 $0.61

249.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.61 $0.61

150.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.49 $0.49

177.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.59 $0.59

89.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.21 $0.21

161.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.52 $0.52

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 $0.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.07 $2.07

105.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.29 $0.29

665.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$12.52 $12.52

76.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$0.51 $0.51

470.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.31 $0.31

225.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.04 $2.04

87.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.92 $0.92

61.96%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$67.9K $67.9K

-60.68%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$58.5K $58.5K

-54.34%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$99.4 ฿3,321

$10.26 $10.26

868.52%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.28 ฿377

$1.99 $1.99

466.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$7.48 $7.48

132.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$13.64 $13.64

283.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$13.19 $13.19

-17.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$1.02 $1.02

642.16%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$558 ฿18.7K

$72.2 $72.2

673.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$533 $533

2054.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$18.62 $18.62

237.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$23.77 $23.77

20.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$86.2 $86.2

11.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$37.85 $37.85

132.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$289 $289

152.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$192 $192

139.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$1,311 $1,311

59.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$454 $454

169.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$1,176 $1,176

194.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$736 $736

238.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$203 $203

142.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

26.8

-79.22%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Isfahan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Isfahan

$192 41% 58.2% $268

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Isfahan

$102 21.7% 62% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Isfahan

$20 4.2% 84.6% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Isfahan

$75 15.9% 39.6% $49

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Isfahan

$50 10.6% 59.2% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Isfahan

$16 3.3% 76.7% $52

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Isfahan

$16 3.4% 59.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $289 in Isfahan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 143% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $13.00 in Isfahan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $102 – making Isfahan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇷 Isfahan

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

10:49 10:49 AM

3 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,961,260

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Phuket Isfahan 5,540 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Isfahan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 157% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $705 in Isfahan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Isfahan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $13.00 in Isfahan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $470 in Isfahan. That's a gap of about 157%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Isfahan, where all-in costs run around $470, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Isfahan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Isfahan costs $470 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Isfahan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.